


nesting

by sophila



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic nonsense, F/M, Kid Fic, Pregnancy, but in a cute way, in which Daisy is more like her mom than she realizes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:15:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22043179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophila/pseuds/sophila
Summary: All in all, it would’ve made Daisy proud knowing she did her mom one better- in that she actuallymadeit to the car.Or; that one time that Grant Douglas Ward visibly panics.
Relationships: Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward
Comments: 5
Kudos: 81





	nesting

**Author's Note:**

> [This takes place in the same 'verse as "maybe" but just sometime in the future?? i promised myself this account wouldn't be used for fluff but oops. Also this summary is referencing the deleted scene about Daisy's birth from season 2]

It’s a quarter to 5 when Daisy finally gives up the fight, sighing deeply as she beings the motions of dragging herself out of bed. Her back protested as she sat up and she needed to pee for like the fourth time that night.

Sleep just wasn’t on the agenda tonight, _again_ , apparently and she’s honestly not sure how much more of this she can take. Daisy could take a whole hell of a lot, she’s been through hell and back again- but this waiting game was proving more difficult than she’d anticipated. Not that she’d really known what to expect. At 41 weeks at 3 days pregnant, the baby was overdue and Daisy was well past the stage she’d deemed to be the cute stage of pregnancy and straight into gross and horrible. Everything was filled to capacity and leaky, everything hurt, and she’d even been asked if she was carrying twins the last time she dared make a trip to the supermarket. She was 1000% done.

Daisy rests a hand on her belly, feeling it contract under her touch. The pains she’d felt last night were becoming more regular but she couldn’t be sure if these were just more Braxton hicks or the real deal, but at this point she figured it hardly mattered. Early labor was a game of waiting, and this was nothing worth getting excited or waking anyone up over yet.

She glanced over at her _very_ unlikely bedfellow and other responsible party of the tremendous living weight currently around her middle. Grant murmured something incoherent into the pillow but didn’t wake, completely off-guard, blissfully unaware of the world around him and vulnerable in a way he tried desperately to hide from the rest of the world. Part of her felt an angry stab of jealousy at how peaceful he looked and how unfair it was that _he_ could sleep and she couldn’t.

It’d had been one hell of a ride, and their relationship was still not entirely public within S.H.I.E.L.D., not after everything that’d happened. Everything was off the books, but as she’d been told, she was not the first S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to do so and likely wouldn’t be the last. Everyone who needed to know already knew, and everyone who didn’t just knew that she didn’t spend all her days on site anymore, that she needed at least 4 hours of notice before leaving for a field mission and now she was taking a few months of well deserved “family” leave.

There were broken parts of themselves that neither one of them could fix, complications and now _this_. The baby had been a complete surprise but it turns out that 5 years on a 4 year implant tends to reduce effectiveness. A part of Daisy leapt at the chance to rewrite the childhood that had been stolen from them both, and a part of her freaked out at every turn making her wonder if she could do this. She had no one to tell her how, she’d spent most of her childhood in an orphanage after all.

Ward for his part, had taken it completely in stride, didn’t disappear on her, even managed to get himself a cushy job consulting for a prestigious private security company. It was perfect for him, working mostly alone at odd hours. The plan was that after a few months Daisy would return to picking up field assignments, leaving Ward at home with the baby. Private security tended to be less urgent and inflexible than a super-secret military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency, after all.

He was more or less a free agent now after all, after severing ties with HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D. and his obsessive personal agendas, he put it all behind him. For _her_. She never forgave him for his actions, but one day when she had nowhere else to turn from a mission gone south she called on him for assistance, mainly for a place to crash while she determined if the team was even still alive. There was a time Daisy wanted him dead more than anything, and he had the scars to prove it. But he still came back, he made himself useful to her, was honest and finally stopped lying to himself about how much he’d come to care for the team he’d torn asunder.

She saw him then as a new entity; this cruel broken boy with razor sharp edges and her former S.O., somehow coexisted in this impossible duality of a man. It fascinated her, frustrated her, disturbed her- but she wasn’t afraid of him. Not when she knew his every weakness- how he was no match for her with her powers. He knew it too, but he _still_ let her stay, and that meant something to her. Then she kept coming back, until finally it became default.

She made a home for herself, her first permanent roots in the outside world, in the spacious cabin they now shared in the isolated square mile of Wyoming woodlands. The one John Garett vacated after his death. Daisy knew it was somehow cathartic for Ward to be living there, where it’d all began, claiming himself as his own man again; like a conqueror on vanquished lands.

Their daughter interrupted her reminiscing on their inexplicable relationship with a forceful jab against her insides and Daisy grudgingly heaved herself out of bed, used the bathroom for the billionth time and began padding around the cabin. Despite what Ward bluntly told her once about her changing gait, she was _not_ waddling. She wasn’t. And if he valued his life he’d refrain from making more obtuse comments.

She makes her way down the hall, the sky lightening with the barest promise of dawn peeking through the windows. The high-tech thick bulletproof windows looked out of place on the peaceful rustic cabin but Ward had insisted on installing them incase S.H.I.E.L.D or HYDRA ever came knocking. The nesting instinct that seemed to have skipped over her and gone straight to him, once she’d gotten pregnant he’d taken to spending every spare moment he had planning and reinforcing the cabin like a small bunker; “nesting” but like…Ward style, she supposed.

It was almost cute, in a weird sort of way.

_“I gotta say, nesting looks pretty damn good on you.” She teased him one day while he was preparing to work on the roof. It was ridiculous but damn if she didn’t love watching him work, staring at his tight ass in his favorite pair of dark jeans._

_“Hmph.” He’d grunted back while climbing the ladder, mouth currently busy holding the nails he was using to add reinforcements to the roof that did god knows what._

_“Yeah well, try not to give yourself tetanus before she’s born okay?” Daisy called after him before adding “Need any help?”_

_“S’ alright, I got it.” He replied, before looking around and realizing he’d left the hammer behind. “Oh wait- actually can you hand me the hammer?”_

_She snickered to herself, knowing that her little comment had flustered him just enough to be distracting._

Daisy smiled as she passed by the nursery. Once Ward had finally gotten the house to meet his exacting safety standards, he’d started on the nursery, painting it, refinishing the floor. This had been more of a joint effort, Daisy picked the colors and the decorations seeing as Ward didn’t have much taste or preferences in that regard. He was woefully out of his element trying to figure out how to decorate a baby’s room. But he did suggest several cute little succulents to place on the shelves. He liked plants more than she’d expected he might.

However, this morning, unlike ever before, little things were bothering her. Little things looked out of place to her now, there was a blanket on the floor that she felt an impulse to pick up, papers on the counter in the kitchen that needed to be sorted. There was dust in corners of the windows she just now noticed. She _needed_ something else to do, her fingers itched.

That’s when Simmons messaged her on their private shared server, unwittingly coming to Daisy’s rescue.

_[I’m so sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, how’s it going? I might need some help with getting into a system that somebody (Fitz) accidentally triggered into lockdown. Again, if I’m interrupting anything I’m so sorry! Just let me know how things are going, we miss you lots, can’t wait to meet her!]_

Daisy’s heart sang, a _job_. It was just a tiny remote little thing, but a job nonetheless. Something to end the mild-melting boredom and cabin fever.

_[No baby yet. dying of boredom, was even contemplating cleaning the house, that’s how far gone i am.]_

Simmons replies quickly; _[Actually, that might be the nesting instinct. Labor is probably really close now!]_

 _[Actually between the 2 of us i don’t have the nesting instinct bad. Had some extra closet shelving installed yesterday, and im like…she doesn’t even have real shoes yet lol]_ Daisy doesn’t mention Ward by name. Simmons knows who she means of course, but Daisy’s trying to keep things light.

 _[Anyways, what did Fitz do to the poor server?]_ She feels herself grinning, picturing her teammates in her head.

The job ends up taking less than an hour, and by that point Ward is up making himself coffee and the smell nearly drives Daisy over the edge, she misses coffee _so_ bad. Pushing back from her desk she shuffles into the kitchen and eases herself into the stool across from him in the kitchen with all the grace and poise that was afforded to her in late pregnancy, which was to say none whatsoever.

She looks up to see Ward half smirking at her, watching her struggle with a playful sort of smugness.

“Admiring your handiwork?” Daisy deadpanned, reaching for the mug of tea he’d left for her.

“No, ” His smirk broke out into a full-blown grin as he shook his head. “Just thinking about how she’s gonna be here, any day now.”

“Well she better be, before I commit murder.” Daisy grumbles.

Grant offers her his best shit-eating grin. “Sorry babe.”

“No you’re not, not in the slightest.”

“Okay, I’m not.” He laughs. “ But I _am_ sorry you’re so uncomfortable right now.”

Daisy hums a noncommittal response into her mug, the tea was pleasant but paled in comparison to Grant’s steaming mug of black coffee.

“Made you some eggs and toast.” Ward scoots the plate towards her, she hasn’t been very hungry in the mornings lately but she gives it a few nibbles and finishes her tea before hefting herself up from the counter. Ward was filing some paper work for his latest job, which essentially left her to her own devices.

Thus, she sets about cleaning the entire house with the sudden burst of energy she feels. The urge was strange and sort of primal, but the current level of cleanliness just didn’t fit her new stir-crazy 41 weeks and 3 days pregnant nesting instinct standards. Anyone who knew her would laugh if they could see her now. Daisy was decidedly _not_ a habitual neat-freak, thus she was mostly cleaning up her own untidiness seeing as Ward mostly kept things immaculate on his part.

All the while Daisy felt the pain blossoming and subsiding with a promising increase in frequency, although she was cautious in her optimism. The last thing she needed was to make the hour and a half drive to the hospital only for them to be sent home again.

Eventually the pains became so strong that she couldn’t help but cry out, gripping the couch until her knuckles turned white and the pain had passed through her. She knew then without a doubt, this was _finally_ real _._

“Daze?” Ward called her favorite nickname from the kitchen, immediately dropping the blueprints he’d been scanning over. “Baby, you okay?”

“Yeah.” She grit out. “I think I’m having contractions now though.”

“Since when?” Grant stood up with such force that he knocked the stool over from under himself.

“Probably since like five this morning? I couldn’t sleep so then I helped Simmons with some stuff and then I started cleaning.”

“That was _six hours ago_ , Daisy!” She heard him take a breath in an attempt to calm himself. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“These things take a while.” Daisy shrugs.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner, this is important.” Ward grumbles.

“I didn’t wanna jump the gun again, and besides I-” She curls in on herself, breathing fast. There was another one coming already, heat and pain building up inside her.

“Are you-” Grant checks his watch. “They’re less than 3 minutes apart, we gotta go.”

“Yeah, probably a good idea.” Daisy pants once she feels like she can breathe again, winded by the pain.

She gets hit by another as soon as she starts to change, forcing her to hunch over in the closet space for a moment.

“Okay wow, these are getting close. Maybe we should hurry.”

“On it.” Ward already has a bag ready- the same bag he’s had ready since 37 weeks.

Daisy gets hit by two more before they finally make it to the car, and just leaving the property to get onto the main road feels like the longest ride of her life. The ride initially goes as smoothly as it can with Daisy shifting and groaning in her seat until not 10 minutes later they get stopped by a train- which she swears must be the longest freight train in North America. There were no alternate routes that were feasible, not in the middle of bumfuck nowhere woodlands Wyoming. They would just have to wait it out at the crossing.

She gets out of the car and walks into the grass on the side of the road. The pain felt marginally better when she moved but it was far more intense than anything she could’ve previously guessed at. Thankfully she’d at least managed to keep control over her powers.

“How’re we holding up?” Ward gets out to support her, but keeps his distance. He knows how much she hates him of all people fussing over her, even now.

“Do I have to answer?” She manages when she gets her breath back.

“Well if you hadn’t decided to take that mission and clean the whole damn house before telling me,” Ward starts before immediately amending. “I’m sorry Daze, I don’t mean that. I’m just-”

“You’re what?” Daisy uncurls her hunched pose and waddles her way back to the car, the massive train finally reaching its end.

“It’s fine, it’s gonna be just fine. We’re gonna get there, gonna be fine.” Ward keeps repeating under his breath, trying to calm himself down. He doesn’t bald face admit he’s panicking but she knows he is. She’s never really seen him panic before, not as her S.O. and not as the Grant Ward she’d eventually come to know.

They only make it about 15 more minutes down the road before Daisy feels _it_. She couldn’t describe the feeling, the pressure- but she knew what she needed to do immediately.

“Ward.” Diasy says but he’s not listening, holding the steering wheel in a death grip and completely focused on the road as he is.

“Grant,” She switches to his first name and that manages to get his attention as he looks over at her. “I need you to pull over and help me get in the back.”

“Why the- what?” He looks between her and the road sputtering in his confusion. “Daisy, what?” She can hear the panic rising in his voice.

“I,” She swallows her fear down and tries to tell him as calmly as she can manage. “I think she’s coming, I gotta push.”

“No no- don’t. Do _not_.” Ward all but begs her. “ _Shit_ Daisy, you gotta fight against it, just hold on a little longer. We’re almost there.”

But they both know they’re at least 40 minutes away yet.

“Ow- _fuck-_ ” She groans against the primal squeezing of her muscles, the uncontrollable urge to bear down against the pressure. “Pullover now!”

Grant immediately pulls off to the side of the road and helps her into the back before reaching for the med-kit under the seat and gloving himself up. He moves with all the confidence of a former field agent in a tight situation, but his tight expression cannot mask how scared shitless he is just under the surface. In another situation she might’ve teased him for being overly prepared, if she hadn’t been in so much pain.

Minutes later they welcomed a wailing baby girl into the world.

“Oh my god,” Daisy couldn’t tell if Grant was crying through the blurry tears in her eyes. But judging by his voice he was. “Here she is.”

They exchange that _oh my god, we just had a baby in a car_ glance as Ward places the baby on her chest and immediately hands her the receiving blanket to wrap the messy, wiggling infant in. The rest of the trip passed in a blur, the baby quieted as soon as she was bundled and held close to Daisy’s chest. At the hospital the nurses cut the cord, weighed her, checked her latch and asked for her name.

They’d finally picked a name only a few weeks ago. _Olivia_.

On the first ultrasound Daisy joked about how she looked like an little olive, and continued to call her that up until around 8 months.

_“We can’t keep calling her Olive.” Ward had finally told her._

_“What? Olive is a name.” Daisy shrugged._

_“Daisy.”_

_“Okay, okay. I guess Olive might be a little weird. Mmm, maybe Olivia instead?”_

_“Olivia, huh? That sounds better.” He’d said it slowly, testing it out. “Olivia. That’s good.”_

Settled into their hospital room now, Daisy watched Ward hold their daughter. She found herself musing on how he’d been there for so many big introductions and life changing transitions, whether she’d wanted him there or not. It seemed fitting that she finally got to witness one of his as he stared down at the tiny life in his arms; watching it stare back at him with hazy eyes.

They were cleared for discharge the next morning, after Daisy sent videos and pictures to the team and other friends. Ward contemplated sending a photo to Thomas, but ultimately thought better of it, he didn’t quite feel prepared. Daisy knew how he felt. 

The ride back home was silent, but she kept catching Ward’s eyes in the review mirror, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing; between Daisy, exhausted but very happy, and the little dozing bundle nestled in the car seat beside her.

-

The weeks seemed to fly by until suddenly it was almost time for Daisy to return for her first mission back with the team, her first time away from the baby for more than a few hours. She counted down the days with apprehension. She felt guilty leaving her daughter, like the baby would miss her- like she was abandoning her. Daisy had been spending as much time with the baby as she could up until now, and she feared the transition would be rough for both of them. Although Ward was doing an excellent job with her so far, Daisy worried that their daughter would miss her mother’s warmth, that Ward somehow wouldn’t be able to open up to her in the same way.

Olivia was overall a pretty quiet baby; grumpy and observant, which Daisy swore she got from Ward. She had downy hair a few shades lighter than Daisy’s, and Daisy couldn’t figure out where it’d come from until Ward informed her it was also from his side, apparently.

_“She looks so much like him, Daze.” Grant told her while looking down at Oliva in the crib, barely a week old. Daisy could see how he was fighting back emotions in his eyes._

_“Like who?”_

_“Thomas. Mother always called him a little angel.” Ward looked at the sleeping baby like he’d seen a ghost; reverential and frightened._

_Oliva’s tiny face scrunched up as she picked that exact moment to let them know she would be needing another diaper change. Loudly._

_“Wow.” Daisy smiled._

_“Okay, maybe we’ll work on the angel part.” He murmured, grimacing as he hefted her up for her fifth diaper change of the day._

_Daisy guessed the baby might be too young to have a sense of humor, but she definitely got that from her._

Daisy grinned fondly at the memory, before cracking her eyes open. After feeding Oliva earlier she’d settled back into bed, enjoying her last few days of sleeping in.

She could hear the sounds of Olivia starting to grumble again, and opened her eyes fully to find that Ward must’ve already gotten up to attend to her. Daisy gets up anyway, out of habit and pads her way to the nursery, but she stops as she reaches the open doorway.

“Up just in time for sunrise, that’s a good skill y’know.” Ward is leaning over the rail of the crib, speaking to their daughter while she fusses.

“Okay,” He lifts Oliva from the crib and cradles her to his favorite dark tee-shirt clad chest. “Let’s take you downstairs, make some coffee and then we’re gonna take a little walk outside; you and me.”

Oliva hiccups and scrunches her face up before letting out a whimper.

“How about that? Just you and your old man in the woods for a bit and we let Mommy sleep, huh? We’ll get you all bundled up.” He was talking to her, just _talking_ in a chatty way Daisy has never heard him be with anyone else. She almost felt like she was witnessing something secret, private even for her.

“Shh,” Grant sways in place, gently rocking the baby with his movements as she starts to settle. Daisy can hear him humming quietly while he stands in the warm pink rays of morning filtering through the windows.

She bit her lip with a grin and tiptoed back to their room, barely able to contain her own heart. Their future wasn’t quite the way she’d planned it, not that Daisy was ever much of a planner; but she wouldn’t change a thing if it meant that she’d end up in this perfect moment.

She realized then that she needn’t worry, the father-daughter duo were gonna do just _fine_.


End file.
